UN GATE,
September 1 – Amid the back
and forth on the border of
Lebanon and Israel at Avivim,
notably silent as he has been
for months is UN Secretary
General Antonio Guterres. He
disappeared for three weeks in
August while censoring the
Press to try to conceal his
links to UN briber CEFC China
Energy. Now after banning
Inner City Press from this
month's UN General Assembly,
he remains silent. But a
statement has been issued by
UNIFIL, see below.

On Qatar's
Al Jazeera, one of their
British accented anchors
intoned that Al Mayadeen TV is
viewed as biased. True. But
that's also true of Al
Jazeera, whose UN
correspondent James Bays has
been found by
FOIA to be snarking
about making written
complaints about independent
Inner City Press, here,
while working with Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric to
get Inner City Press ousted
and banned. We won't accept it
and will ramp up coverage of
the failure that Guterres and
these have made of the UN. For
now, this in full from UNIFIL:

"UNIFIL STATEMENT
ON TODAY’S INCIDENTS ALONG THE
BLUE LINE At about
5 pm today UNIFIL was informed
by the Israel Defence Forces
(IDF) that an anti-tank
missile had been fired from
the vicinity of Marun Ar Ras
in southern Lebanon at an IDF
vehicle in the Avivim area,
south of the Blue Line. In
response the IDF conducted
artillery fire directed at the
general area from where the
missile attack had
originated. UNIFIL Head
of Mission and Force Commander
Major-General Stefano Del Col
was immediately in contact
with the parties in order to
contain the situation and
restore the cessation of
hostilities. At this time calm
has returned in the area and
UNIFIL is maintaining its
presence on the ground
together with the Lebanese
Armed Forces (LAF).
Major-General Del Col has
expressed serious concern at
the incident and urged the
parties to exercise utmost
restraint to prevent any
further escalation of the
situation. Major-General
Del Col said: “This is a
serious incident in violation
of UN Security Council
resolution 1701 and clearly
directed at undermining
stability in the
area.” “We need to
maintain security along the
Blue Line and exercise utmost
restraint. General calm has
been restored in the area and
the parties have reassured me
of their continued commitment
to the cessation of
hostilities in accordance with
resolution 1701.” UNIFIL
is following up to determine
the facts and circumstances of
the incident, including any
casualties or damages caused
as a result. At this time
UNIFIL has no reports of
casualties from either side."
Watch this site.

Back on March 11
with the new proposed U.S.
budget the topic of a briefing
at the State Department, Inner
City Press went to ask about
the provision that 15% of U.S.
contributions to the UN should
be cut if, as is the case, the
UN is not protecting
whistleblowers. See March 11
photos here,
and see below for State
Department answer and
read-out.

On August
25 this read-out from US State
Department spokesperson Morgan
Ortagus: "Secretary Pompeo
spoke by phone today with
Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu regarding
recent Israeli airstrikes in
Syria. The Secretary
expressed support for Israel’s
right to defend itself from
threats posed by the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps and
to take action to prevent
imminent attacks against
Israeli assets in the
region. The Secretary
and the Prime Minister
discussed how Iran is
leveraging its foothold in
Syria to threaten Israel and
its neighbors. The Prime
Minister noted that Israel
would strike IRGC targets
threatening Israel, wherever
they are located."

On June 24
at the UNSC stakeout that
Guterres bans Inner City Press
from for the 418th day in a
row (but tweeted photo here),
Iran called on Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
babbling partner in
censorship, here;
Iran's Ambassador was asked
about a canned Guterres quote
which the Ambassador said he
could not agree with more.

Now on July
18 US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo has said, "Today, the
United States designated 12
entities and individuals based
in Iran, Belgium, and China
that are linked to the nuclear
proliferation-sensitive
activities of the Iran
Centrifuge Technology Company
– known by its Persian
acronym, TESA. The
designations announced today
under Executive Order 13382
target proliferators of
weapons of mass destruction
(WMD) or WMD delivery systems
and their associates. In
addition to a freeze on any of
their assets within the United
States, the sanctioned persons
and entities will be denied
access to the U.S. financial
system and listed online as
WMD proliferators. The
United States strongly
condemns Iran’s recent
expansion of sensitive nuclear
activities, including
increasing its stockpile of
low enriched uranium and
enriching uranium at levels
above 3.67 percent.
There is no credible reason
for Iran to expand its nuclear
program at this time and in
this way other than as a
transparent attempt to extort
the international community."

And here's
a question banned Inner City
Press asked corrupt
Guterres, without
answer: "July 16-4: On the
Host Country Agreement and
Iran, given the Deputy
Spokesman's statements
yesterday please immediately
state when Guterres has
allowed the 25 mile
restriction to be put on UN
staff who are nationals of
Iran, why he has allowed it,
what he has done to defend the
rights of UN staff, and which
other countries' nationals he
allows these restrictions on.
"

From June 24,
here is the Iranian Mission's
transcription of what he said:
"Ambassador Ravanchi’s
introductory remarks In
the UN Security Council Media
Stakeout - 24 June 2019 As a
country whose airspace has
been violated by two U.S. spy
drones, Iran was entitled to
participate in the Council’s
Meeting. This is our right
under the UN Charter. We
expressed our readiness and
requested to participate in
that meeting. However,
unfortunately, we were denied
of exercising this right.
Today, the Council was briefed
unilaterally by one party, the
U.S. who is abusing its
position as the Council’s
permanent member to misguide
this body in order to advance
its anti-Iranian policy. We
have irrefutable information
on the incident to provide to
the Council. According to our
credible detailed and precise
technical information on the
path, location, and points of
intrusion and impact of the
U.S. spy drone, there is no
doubt that when targeted, it
was flying over the Iranian
territorial sea. This was done
after several radio warnings,
all of which were
disregarded. Iran’s
action was in full conformity
with international law. Iran
acted in self-defense in
accordance with Article 51 of
the UN Charter. Additionally,
on the same day, another U.S.
spy aircraft with 35 people on
board violated Iran’s
airspace. However, Iranian
armed forces exercised maximum
restraint and no action was
taken against the invading
aircraft. In another instance
in less than one month,
another U.S. spy drone entered
into our airspace on 26 May
2019. Iran has consistently
recorded its protest against
all such violations and
provocative actions through
the U.S. interests section in
the Embassy of Switzerland in
Tehran. These are only a
few examples of provocative
actions and adventurism by the
U.S. in violating Iran’s
borders and airspace.
Conversely, Iran’s practices
indicate that while having an
inherent right to defend our
territorial integrity and
enjoying all required
capabilities as well as
resolute determination to
exercise this right, we want
neither war nor an escalation
of tension in the Persian Gulf
region. But, certain circles
from inside and outside of the
region, through dangerous
acts, are attempting to
escalate the tensions. This
helps them to justify further
foreign military buildup in
the region and sell more
American and western arms to
certain countries, including
to continue committing the
gravest crimes in Yemen. To
pursue this policy, they
resort to deception,
fabrications and
disinformation. One clear
example is the unfounded claim
of the U.S. against Iran
regarding the recent oil
tankers incident, which were
not even supported by some of
the closest allies of the
U.S.. We categorically
rejected the claim. How could
Iran be benefited from
attacking tankers destined to
Japan, while simultaneously
its Prime Minister, in his
historic visit to Iran, was
meeting with the highest
Iranian officials? The claim
could not be more absurd! The
U.S. decision today to impose
more sanctions against Iran is
yet another indication that
the U.S. has no respect for
international law and order as
well as the views of
overwhelming majority of the
international community.
To ease tensions in the
broader Persian Gulf region,
the U.S. must stop its
military adventurism as well
as its economic war and
terrorism against the Iranian
people. There is also a
need for a genuine regional
dialogue on regional security.
We have already expressed our
readiness for such a dialogue
and have asked the
Secretary-General to play a
role in this regard."

Guterres
does nothing by flim-flam the
Permanent Five members, trying
to ensure a second term as
UNSG to live high off the hog.

Iran's
Ambassador, arriving half an
hour late, said he had a right
to be inside the UNSC meeting
but was denied.

On June 20,
Iran's Mission to the UN sent
the Press a copy of its letter
to UNSG Antonio Guterres, who
has yet to answer Press
questions about his lack of
diplomatic successes or even
focus, mocked
by The Onion, and to the
president of the UN Security
Council for June, Kuwait, that
"Upon instructions from my
Government, I am writing to
inform you about another
unlawful and yet a very
dangerous and provocative act
by the U.S. military forces
against the territorial
integrity of the Islamic
Republic of Iran.
According to the General Staff
of the Armed Forces of the
Islamic Republic of Iran, at
00:14 hours local time on
Thursday 20 June 2019, a U.S.
unmanned aircraft system,
taken off from one of the
bases of the U.S. military
forces in the South of the
Persian Gulf, conducted an
overflight through the Strait
of Hormuz to Chabahar port in
a full stealth mode as it had
turned off its identification
equipment and engaged in a
clear spying operation. When
the aircraft was returning
towards the western parts of
the region near the Strait of
Hormuz, despite repeated radio
warnings, it entered into the
Iranian airspace where the air
defense system of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, acting under
Article 51 of the United
Nations Charter, targeted the
intruding aircraft at 04:05
hours local time on the same
date at the coordinates
N255943 and E570225 near the
Kouh-e Mobarak region in the
central district of Jask in
the Islamic Republic of
Iran. Such a provocative
act is a blatant violation of
international law and the
Charter of the United Nations,
in particular its Article
2(4). Iran condemns, in the
strongest possible terms, this
irresponsible and provocative
wrongful act by the United
States, which entails its
international
responsibility. While
the Islamic Republic of Iran
does not seek war, it reserves
its inherent right, under
Article 51 of the United
Nations Charter, to take all
appropriate necessary measures
against any hostile act
violating its territory, and
is determined to vigorously
defend its land, sea and
air. This is not the
first provocative act by the
United States against Iran’s
territorial integrity. It is
reminded that in all such
cases, the Islamic Republic of
Iran has officially protested
to the U.S. through its
interests section in the
Embassy of Switzerland in
Tehran. The
international community is
called upon to demand the
United States to put an end to
its continued unlawful and
destabilizing measures in the
already volatile region of the
Persian Gulf. It would
be highly appreciated if you
could have the present letter
issued as a document of the
Security Council."

Back on May 20,
Iran's Mission to the UN sent
Inner City Press a copy of its
letter to often absent,
invariably cowardly UNSG
Antonio Guterres, and UNSG
President of the month:
"Iran's letter to the UNSG and
UNSC President on situation in
the broader Persian Gulf Inbox
x Alireza Miryousefi
2:16 PM (1 minute ago)
to 17 May 2019
Excellency, I am writing
to you with regard to the
recent alarming security
situation in the broader
Persian Gulf region. There are
indications that certain
circles from outside of this
region — through fabrications,
disinformation, fake
intelligence and fake news,
relying on the support of
their allies in the Middle
East as well as dispatching
naval forces to the region—
are pursuing their
illegitimate interests by
sowing further division and
creating more mistrust between
regional countries in the
Persian Gulf, as well as
fomenting insecurity and
escalating the already high
tension in this volatile
region. If unchecked, the
current situation might —
sooner or later — go beyond
the perimeter of control and
thereby lead to another
unnecessary regional
crisis. The Islamic
Republic of Iran has
repeatedly warned about the
mischievous intentions of such
circles, and the wide-ranging
regional and international
ramifications of their
objectives. In turn, Iran has
always rejected and continues
to reject conflict and war.
Iran will never choose war as
an option or strategy in
pursuing its foreign policy.
It should, however, be obvious
that if war is imposed on us,
Iran will vigorously exercise
its inherent right to
self-defense in order to
defend its nation and to
secure its interests. In
light of the above and at a
time when the region is in
turmoil with no bright
prospect in sight, the
international community in
general, and the United
Nations in particular, cannot
and must not remain
indifferent with regard to
addressing the root causes of
the current state of affairs.
If the issues are not
thoroughly addressed, the
eruption of any possible
conflict will soon cross over
from the regional level and
will definitely have serious
and extensive implications on
international peace and
security. Inaction—a
lose-lose approach—is not an
option and can lead to a
disaster that must be avoided.
The only solution is in fact
the adoption of a win-win
approach through active
engagement. Accordingly, in
view of the Islamic Republic
of Iran, the current complex
security environment in the
region can be eased and
ultimately addressed
exclusively through
constructive engagement and
dialogue between the littoral
States of the Persian Gulf.
Such a regional dialogue
should be based on mutual
respect as well as generally
recognized principles and
shared objectives, notably
respect for sovereignty,
territorial integrity and
political independence of all
states; inviolability of
international boundaries;
non-interference in internal
affairs; peaceful settlement
of disputes; impermissibility
of threat or use of force; and
the promotion of peace,
stability, progress and
prosperity in the
region. As has been
stated by H.E. Mr. Mohammad
Javad Zarif, Minister of
Foreign Affairs of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, the
establishment of a collective
forum for dialogue in the
Persian Gulf region to
facilitate engagement is long
overdue. By promoting
understanding, regional
dialogue can lead to agreement
on a broad spectrum of issues,
including confidence- and
security-building measures;
combating terrorism and
violent extremism; and
ensuring freedom of navigation
and the free flow of energy.
It eventually can include more
formal non-aggression and
security cooperation
arrangements. In this
context, and recalling that
paragraph 8 of Security
Council resolution 598 (1987)
has entrusted the
Secretary-General to examine
“measures to enhance the
security and stability of the
region”; your Excellency, by
operationalizing this
paragraph, could furnish the
necessary international
umbrella for launching such a
regional dialogue.
It would be highly appreciated
if you could have the present
letter issued as a document of
the Security Council.
Please accept, Excellency, the
assurances of my highest
consideration. "On May 5, John
Bolton issued a statement that
"in response to a number of
troubling and escalatory
indications and warnings, the
United States is deploying the
USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier
Strike Group and a bomber task
force to the U.S. Central
Command region to send a clear
and unmistakable message to
the Iranian regime that any
attack on United States
interests or on those of our
allies will be met with
unrelenting force. The United
States is not seeking war with
the Iranian regime, but we are
fully prepared to respond to
any attack, whether by proxy,
the Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps, or regular
Iranian forces." On April 22
Pompeo said, "Today we are
announcing the United States
will not issue any additional
Significant Reduction
Exceptions to existing
importers of Iranian oil. The
Trump Administration has taken
Iran’s oil exports to historic
lows, and we are dramatically
accelerating our pressure
campaign in a calibrated way
that meets our national
security objectives while
maintaining well supplied
global oil markets. We stand
by our allies and partners as
they transition away from
Iranian crude to other
alternatives. We have had
extensive and productive
discussions with Saudi Arabia,
the United Arab Emirates, and
other major producers to ease
this transition and ensure
sufficient supply. This, in
addition to increasing U.S.
production, underscores our
confidence that energy markets
will remain well
supplied. Today’s
announcement builds on the
already significant successes
of our pressure campaign. We
will continue to apply maximum
pressure on the Iranian regime
until its leaders change their
destructive behavior, respect
the rights of the Iranian
people, and return to the
negotiating table." Back in
March before UN Secretary
General Antonio Guterres came
to Washington on March 13
reportedly hat in hand, his
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
said Guterres would speak at
his photo spray with US
Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo. Inner City Press went
- but Guterres, as is his way,
said nothing. Photo here.
Then this read out -- from US
State Department deputy
spokesperson Robert Palladino:
"The below is attributable to
Deputy Spokesperson Robert
Palladino:‎
"Secretary Michael R. Pompeo
met today in Washington with
UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres. The Secretary
extended his condolences on
the tragic loss of life of
United Nations affiliated
personnel on Ethiopian
Airlines Flight 302. The
Secretary and UN
Secretary-General discussed
the denuclearization of the
Korean peninsula, ongoing
events in Venezuela, and the
humanitarian crisis in Yemen,
among other matters. The
Secretary expressed concern
that Iran’s destructive and
disruptive activities across
the Middle East undermine the
UN’s efforts to resolve
conflicts." Hours later UN
Spokesperson tweeted a read
out that was, it seems, not
emailed out, and that does not
mention Iran: "The
Secretary-General met with
H.E. Mr. Michael Pompeo,
United States Secretary of
State, today in Washington.
They discussed the need for
strong cooperation between the
United States and the United
Nations and addressed several
issues of concern, such as
Yemen and Venezuela.
Additionally, they raised
efforts under way, both for
prevention and conflict
resolution in several African
and Middle East
situations. The
Secretary-General also
provided a status update on
the on-going UN reform effort
and encouraged continuing US
engagement and support."
Guterres' spokesman Dujarric
did not answer, despite his promise,
banned Inner City Press'
questions including "March
13-3: On
today's and
tomorrow's SG
team trip to
Washington,
(1) state how
many and which
UN staff are
on the trip,
(2) how much
it costs, (3)
which members
of Congress
the SG is
meeting with,
(4) whether
this includes
Sen Marco
Rubio and if
not, why not-
did the SG
request a
meeting? (5)
provide
read-outs of
all meetings
or state why
not." We'll
have more on
this. On
March 11, too few questions
were taken but afterward it
was suggested to Inner City
Press ask the question in
writing. So it did: "Hi -
earlier this afternoon after
the (short) briefing about the
budget, I asked about the
provision that 15% of US
contributions to the UN would
be cut if the UN is not
protecting
whistleblowers. It
was suggested to me that I
email you to ask: does the
State Department currently
believe that the UN is or is
not sufficiently protecting
whistleblowers, in light of
such case as Anders Kompass
and others who blew the
whistle on UN and French
peacekeepers' sexual abuse in
CAR, recent cases at WIPO,
etc." On March 12, this was
the response to Inner City
Press from a State Department
spokesperson on background:
"The United States believes
that all international
organizations should operate
under modern, accountable
management practices,
including robust protections
for whistleblowers. The
Department of States assesses
these protections in the
context of preparing the
report to Congress required by
section 7048(a) of the
appropriations act, and raises
shortcomings with senior
leadership and other UN member
states to spur corrective
action. The Department
has been monitoring the UN’s
protection of whistleblower
protections, including recent
improvements to the
organization’s whistleblower
protection policy, which has
been a priority for
Secretary-General Guterres."
We'll have more on this -
given Kompass, WIPO, etc.
"Policy" and practice are two
very different things. Watch
this site. When Helen Clark
who ran an open campaign for
Secretary General won by the
significantly less open
Antonio Guterres spoke about
drugs near the UN on November
19, Inner City Press went to
ask and cover it. On the panel
also were two UN officials,
Craig Mokhiber of the office
of Michelle Bachelet and
Simone Monasebian, the New
York Director of the UN Office
on Drugs and Crime. Ms
Monasebian recounted how some
member states were prepared to
break consensus on a paragraph
on harm reduction in the
annual resolution in the UN's
Third Committee so that
paragraph was removed. Inner
City Press when called on
asked the panel about the
Security Council's heavy
handed and military approach
to drugs, for example in
Afghanistan, and asked for
more detail on the Third
Committee which it for 138
days has been banned from
accessing by UNSG Guterres.
Ms. Monasebian noted that
beyond Afghanistan the
Security Council addressed
drugs from 2009 under the
Presidency of then Council
member Burkina Faso through
2014. Mr. Mokhiber said that
military approaches are
counter productive. And Helen
Clark when she spoke
chided the shrinking of civil
society space and attacks on
journlists including exclusion
from the UN across the road.
Video here.
It was appreciated, as were
the event's hosts. Also on
panel was Ann Fordham of IDPC
and Moderator Jimena Leiva
Roesc. The US sponsored and
strong-armed statement of
September was panned, and Ms.
Fordham noted the US is not
even pressing it in Vienna.
There are relatively better
parts of the UN - from which
for now Inner City Press
remains entirely banned by
Guterres, without any due
process. What other candidate
would have done this? When
youth leaders from South Sudan
and DR Congo took questions on
October 26, it was across the
street from the UN and Inner
City Press went to ask and
live-stream. Video here.
It asked about the performance
of the UN Missions UNMISS and
MONUSCO. Emilie Katondolo of
the DRC's Young Women for
Peace and Leadership said
MONUSCO must do more to
protect civilians, giving the
killings in Beni as an
example. Inner City Press
before the October 26 noon
briefing it was banned from
for the 114th day in a row -
and which featured not a
single question on anything in
Africa - asked Spokesman
Stephane Dujarric and Farhan
Haq, as well as USG Alison
Smale who's banned it, "on
deadline, what IS the UN
doing? Also, from South Sudan
Susan Kyunon Sebit
William told Inner City
Press that UNMISS does not
sufficiently protect
civilians, particularly women,
citing Terrain Hotel etc. What
IS the UN doing? What did it
learn?" Apparently nothing -
these has been no answer. But
it was an interesting GNWP
event, with Lynrose Jane
Dumandan Genon from the
Philippines and Katrina
Leclerk from Canada, where she
says students in Manitoba have
partnered with the Eastern
Congo. Meanwhile today's UN
bans press. When "the Role of
Conventional Arms in
Preventing Conflicts" was
debated across First Avenue
frm the UN on October 25,
Inner City Press went, to ask
a question. Video here.
It asked UN Peacekeeping
official Thomas Kontogeorgos
what the UN has done about its
negligent loss of weapons and
ammunition - which Inner City
Press asked about IN the UN
before being banned as cover
up by SG Antonio Guterres and
his USG Alison Smale. Kontogeorgos
to his credit
answered, only
somewhat
evasively,
that DPKO
"provided
inputs" to the
Small
Arms Survey,
and now UNPOL
passes
information to
INTERPOL (the
disappearance
of whose head
Guterres has
said nothing
about, despite
written
questions from
Inner City
Press.). At
the end of the
IPI program,
Youssef
Mahmoud spoke
about the
elephant(s) in
the room,
selling arms.
Afterward Dr.
Mihaela
Racovita
of SAS told
Inner City
Press they are
trying to make
further
inroads with
DPKO, for
example with
the mission in
Mali. We hope
to have more
on this - the
lawless ban by
Guterres and
Smale, for
reporting on
UN corruption,
is not
helpful. But
we will not
stop. Back
on September 5, hours after in
the UN Security Council
chamber UK Ambassador Karen
Pierce said
she supported the morning's
meeting about Nicaragua due to
refugee flows, across the
street from the UN Inner City
Press asked her why this logic
didn't apply to the confict in
the former British Southern
Cameroons and the flight of
Anglophones from state
violence into Nigeria.
Periscope video here.

Pierce replied that a country
is less likely to end up on
the Security Council's agenda
if it is taking some positive
steps. But given 36 year
Cameroonian head of state Paul
Biya's torching of villages,
what are his positive steps? A
sceptic might point to the
natural gas deal he signed
with UK-based New Age, which
UK Minister Liam Fox
bragged around as showing UK
companies can still get deals
after Brexit.

Also
on the panel on the "Culture
of Peace," moderated by Kevin
Rudd, was Secretary
General Antonio Guterres' head
of policy planning Fabrizio
Hochschild. When Inner City
Press began a question to
Hochschild, who had spoken
with gruesome examples from
Colombia of the need for
opposing sides to humanize
each other though
“dignification,” Rudd cut it
off.

Stepping off the
crowded elevator at ground
level Inner City Press
endeavored to ask Hochschild
the questions, both Cameroon
and whether Guterres and his opaque
Global Communicator Alison Smale,
purporting to ban Inner City
Press from the UN for life
without once speaking with it,
should engaged in some
dignification. He declined to
answer -- declined to dignify
the question, so to speak --
then said “Ask Steph.”

It was a
reference to Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric,
who Smale has twice written
would answer Inner City Press'
question but who has refused
to for a full week.

This as
Inner City Press, already
banned from the UN for 64 days
amid its questions on
Guterres' inaction on Cameroon
with the country's ambassador
Tommo Monthe heading the UN
Budget Committee, has an
application pending to cover
the UN General Assembly as it
has for the past 11 years.
Dignification, indeed. We'll
have more on this.

***

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